t bing 055082 chapter3

CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

3.1

Introduction

Some theories related to this research, including the importance of using English, criticism of using English only in EFL contexts, the concept of perception, the aspects and process of perception, the role of context in perception, and the factor that can influence someone’s perception, have been discussed in chapter two. This chapter will provide five main sections related to methodology of the research. Research design will be presented first, and then followed by setting, participants, data collection, and data analysis. Each section will be discussed in detail below.

3.2

Research Design

In relation to its nature, purposes and research questions, this research employed descriptive research design, embracing characteristics of a case study. A case study had been chosen for several reasons. First, the result of this study would not be attempted to generalize beyond the case (Stake, cited in Silverman, 2005). Then, the study was only focused on investigating the students’ perception on using English as a medium of instruction and its influence to classroom interaction at one public senior high school in Tanjungpandan Belitung. Second, this study employed

constitutes the important aspect of a case study (Yin, 2003: 85). He also mentions that multiple data gatherings also intent to augment the construct validity of the study (Yin, 2003; Merriam, 1998; Travers, 2001).

The descriptive method was used to describe the data found during the research and then tabulated. This method seems suitable to present the fact found during the study and to interpret of how the facts related to the problem under investigation (read Gay, 1987). Nasir (1983) states that the characteristics of descriptive method are focused on the concentration how to solve the actual problems. The collected data of the research will be concluded in percentage. Then, the data will be analyzed and discussed in detail in order to answer the research questions.

3.3

Setting

The research was done at one public senior high school in Tanjungpandan Belitung at the academic year 2006-2007. There were two main reasons why this school was chosen. First, there are 13 high schools in Tanjungpandan. The school where the research was done is a favorite one. As a favorite school, the teachers’ approaches in teaching and learning process usually become models for teachers of other high schools. Second, I have a close relationship to all teaching staffs in the school. This condition was good in creating the smoothness of the research. This

research was done from March 7 to March 27, 2007. The research has been done successfully as expected.

3.4

Participants

The participants of this research were the English teachers and the eleventh year students of science program of a public school in Tanjungpandan Belitung. To focus the research, purposive sampling was done. Purposive sampling allows us to choose a case because it illustrates some feature or process in which we are interesting (Silverman, 2005). 11 IPA 1 and 11 1PA 2 classes were taken as the samples. The detail information about the students’ number of these classes is presented in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1

The Students Total Number in Each Class

No Class Male Female Total

1 11 IPA 1 18 20 38

2 11 IPA 2 19 19 38

There are 76 students in the two classes and all of them were taken as the participants of this study. These classes had been chosen based on my informal interviewed with the headmaster and five students from each class. They mentioned that these two classes had different English teachers and different characteristic in

instruction dominantly during teaching English in the classroom, while the teacher who teached 11 IPA 2 tended to use Indonesian. The result of the informal interviews was also supported by the result on classroom observations.

3.5

Data Collection

Since the study employed a descriptive research design that used multiple technique of data collection, collecting data were done not only at the end of each session, but also in an ongoing way (Fraenkle and Wallen, 2000: 505). Interview, students’ journal and classroom observation were used in collecting the data of this research. Each technique will be mentioned in this session.

3.5.1 Interview

Interviews on the students were used as the one of the sources of data. Richards, et al. (1992: 189) mention that interview is a direct conversation between an investigator and an individual or group of individuals in order to gather information. Merriam (1998: 69) says that qualitative data consist of direct quotations from respondents about their experiences, opinions, feelings, and knowledge through interviews. Furthermore, Genesee (1996) mentions that by doing an interview, a researcher can probe the respondents for additional information in response to interesting or important answer that arise unexpectedly from the planned questions. This condition may let the researcher get additional information related to the

problems being investigated. Based on those theories, the leading interviews form was used to collect the data. According to Ridwan (2002: 29), leading interview is a kind of interview that the questions are given to respondents based on list of questions prepared by the researcher. The interviews (leading interviews) were done to get in-depth information from respondents.

All 38 students from each class were interviewed (leading interviews form) to investigate their perceptions on the use of English as a medium of instruction used by their English teacher and the influences of using English as a medium of instruction to the interaction in the classroom. The questions are provided in appendix A.

The questions were categorized into nine categories; students’ background, preferences, anticipate, hope, defense mechanisms, students’ needs, teachers’ professionalism, others’ influence, and context, in order to find the answer of the two research questions. To investigate the teachers’ point of view about the influence of the use of English as a medium of instruction in the classroom, they were interviewed by using the same type of interview (leading interview). The detail questions are in appendix B.

To get the validity of the interview questions, they were tried out to 10 students, who were not taken as the samples of the research, from the same school. This activity was also done to the interview questions that were given to the teachers. The pilot teacher was the respondents’ peer teacher. After analyzed the result of the

3.5.2 Students’ Writing Journal

To complete the data from interviews and observation, students’ journals were used as another instrument in this study. Genesee et al. (1996: 34) mention that journal has a number of important benefits. First, each student can write anything about his or her learning experiences. Second, students can openly express feeling about their teachers, classmates, and classroom activities. Third, writing a journal gives students opportunities to express themselves personally about their interests, goals, and desires using the second or foreign language. Based on those three benefits mentioned, the researcher concluded that writing journal is an appropriate technique to collect research data. As it was done to the interview questions, the guided questions that were used in journal writing were also tried out. These questions were given to other students from the same class level who were not taken as the respondents of this research. This activity was done to get the validity of the instrument. Then, the results from the try out were analyzed and developed to get the complete one.

In writing the journal, students were asked to write their own expression and opinion about the teaching and learning process that had been done by them at the end of one teaching and learning session. The researcher only asked each student to write one journal when the topic of teaching English of both classes was the same. Then, the journals were collected by the researcher and analyzed based on the need of

the research. The detail information about the students’ journal instruction sheet is provided in appendix C.

3.5.3 Classroom Observation

Interviews are a primary source of data in qualitative research, and so are observations (Merriam, 1998; Silverman, 2005). Nunan (1989: 76) states that if we want to find out about classroom it is very important for us to do direct observation. He also says that if a researcher want to enrich his or her understanding about teaching and learning language, he or she needs to spend time looking in classroom. Since this research is trying to investigate the phenomenon of the use of English as a medium of instruction in the classroom, then doing classroom observation is appropriate.

In doing this research, observation were conducted for four meetings for each classroom. Each meeting was 90 minutes. Classroom observation were used to observe the tacit understanding and also see directly the interaction process between the English teachers and the students during teaching and learning process in the classroom (Alwasilah, 2003: 155). Merriam (1998: 69) adds that detailed descriptions of respondents’ activities, behaviors and actions will be recorded in observation.

To do an accurate classroom observation, the classroom interaction observation form developed by Allwright (1988: 54) was used. There are four

comprehensible one. The researcher can write all activities in a classroom, including verbal and nonverbal ones. By doing this, he or she can take tacit behavior of respondent. Second, teachers and students’ behavior in the classroom can be analyzed and used as a vital feedback for them. Third, using this classroom- interaction observation form is quite simple. The researcher may record teaching and learning activities by using recording tools, and then he or she can analyze them after the activities run. Fourth, the researcher can give the teachers or students questions related to the activities done in the classroom. These four advantages became the basic reasons why classroom interaction observation form develop by Allwright was chosen as the tool to analyze students perception on the use of English as a medium of instruction and its influences to the classroom interaction. The detail about this classroom-interaction observation form is provided in appendix D.

The notes of what was said by both the teacher and the students in the interactive setting (Yin, 2003: 92) were taken. To support the notes during observation, any words produced by the teachers and their interaction with their students while teaching and learning process run in the classroom was taken by using tape recorder. To get comprehensive data of classroom interaction, the writer asked his friend to record by using a camera.

3.6

Data Analysis

Data analyses in this study were conducted over the course of the research program and after the research program. Ongoing data analyses and interpretations were based on data mainly from observation. Furthermore, the data that were analyzed in the conclusion of the research were those obtained interviews and students’ writing journal.

The data from the interviews were transcribed and subsequently categorized and interpreted to answer the research questions. During the transcription stage, students’ names were replaced with symbols. The transcriptions in the first stage interview were confirmed to the participants to make sure that they were exactly what they said and meant. Kvale (1996: 161) mentions that this step aimed to give the participants an opportunity to reply whether they really meant what the researcher transcribed. Furthermore, to use the research time efficiently, the transcriptions of the second stage interview were not be sent back to the participant.

All interview data were analyzed in steps. The first one is to put interview questions into their categories. Then the data from the interviews were subsequently presented in a condensed body of information and interpretation (see Yin, 2003; Travers, 2001; Merriam, 1998). Finally, the data about students’ perceptions on the used of English as a medium of instruction were categories into positive and negative perception.

The data from students’ journal were used to investigate their direct expression of their feeling about teaching and learning process, their opinion about the teacher’s teaching performance, including the language he or she used. All the collected data from these journals were categorized based on the purposes of the research. Students’ feelings and opinions, which were reflected to the journals, then selected to be tabulated, based on its categories. Finally, these data were analyzed to support the finding in interviews and classroom observations.

Data from classroom observation were analyzed to find out the influences of the use of English as a medium of interaction to the classroom interactions. The finding data were also used to support the data from interview and students’ journal writing that investigate the students’ perception on the use of English as a medium of instruction. The data collected from the classroom observation were coded in the observational sheets. Then, information found during the observation were analyzed and interpreted in order to find the answers of research questions.

A data source triangulation (Alwasilah, 2003; Yin, 2003) which is usually used in case study, then made, to make a contrast and comparison off all the data obtained from different sources, i.e. documentary reviews, classroom observation, journal, questionnaires, and interviews. In this research, there were three sources; journals, interviews and classroom observation. These three sources supported each other to meet the validity of the conclusion of the study.

problems being investigated. Based on those theories, the leading interviews form was used to collect the data. According to Ridwan (2002: 29), leading interview is a kind of interview that the questions are given to respondents based on list of questions prepared by the researcher. The interviews (leading interviews) were done to get in-depth information from respondents.

All 38 students from each class were interviewed (leading interviews form) to investigate their perceptions on the use of English as a medium of instruction used by their English teacher and the influences of using English as a medium of instruction to the interaction in the classroom. The questions are provided in appendix A.

The questions were categorized into nine categories; students’ background, preferences, anticipate, hope, defense mechanisms, students’ needs, teachers’ professionalism, others’ influence, and context, in order to find the answer of the two research questions. To investigate the teachers’ point of view about the influence of the use of English as a medium of instruction in the classroom, they were interviewed by using the same type of interview (leading interview). The detail questions are in appendix B.

To get the validity of the interview questions, they were tried out to 10 students, who were not taken as the samples of the research, from the same school. This activity was also done to the interview questions that were given to the teachers. The pilot teacher was the respondents’ peer teacher. After analyzed the result of the

3.5.2 Students’ Writing Journal

To complete the data from interviews and observation, students’ journals were used as another instrument in this study. Genesee et al. (1996: 34) mention that journal has a number of important benefits. First, each student can write anything about his or her learning experiences. Second, students can openly express feeling about their teachers, classmates, and classroom activities. Third, writing a journal gives students opportunities to express themselves personally about their interests, goals, and desires using the second or foreign language. Based on those three benefits mentioned, the researcher concluded that writing journal is an appropriate technique to collect research data. As it was done to the interview questions, the guided questions that were used in journal writing were also tried out. These questions were given to other students from the same class level who were not taken as the respondents of this research. This activity was done to get the validity of the instrument. Then, the results from the try out were analyzed and developed to get the complete one.

In writing the journal, students were asked to write their own expression and opinion about the teaching and learning process that had been done by them at the end of one teaching and learning session. The researcher only asked each student to write one journal when the topic of teaching English of both classes was the same. Then, the journals were collected by the researcher and analyzed based on the need of

the research. The detail information about the students’ journal instruction sheet is provided in appendix C.

3.5.3 Classroom Observation

Interviews are a primary source of data in qualitative research, and so are observations (Merriam, 1998; Silverman, 2005). Nunan (1989: 76) states that if we want to find out about classroom it is very important for us to do direct observation. He also says that if a researcher want to enrich his or her understanding about teaching and learning language, he or she needs to spend time looking in classroom. Since this research is trying to investigate the phenomenon of the use of English as a medium of instruction in the classroom, then doing classroom observation is appropriate.

In doing this research, observation were conducted for four meetings for each classroom. Each meeting was 90 minutes. Classroom observation were used to observe the tacit understanding and also see directly the interaction process between the English teachers and the students during teaching and learning process in the classroom (Alwasilah, 2003: 155). Merriam (1998: 69) adds that detailed descriptions of respondents’ activities, behaviors and actions will be recorded in observation.

To do an accurate classroom observation, the classroom interaction observation form developed by Allwright (1988: 54) was used. There are four

comprehensible one. The researcher can write all activities in a classroom, including verbal and nonverbal ones. By doing this, he or she can take tacit behavior of respondent. Second, teachers and students’ behavior in the classroom can be analyzed and used as a vital feedback for them. Third, using this classroom- interaction observation form is quite simple. The researcher may record teaching and learning activities by using recording tools, and then he or she can analyze them after the activities run. Fourth, the researcher can give the teachers or students questions related to the activities done in the classroom. These four advantages became the basic reasons why classroom interaction observation form develop by Allwright was chosen as the tool to analyze students perception on the use of English as a medium of instruction and its influences to the classroom interaction. The detail about this classroom-interaction observation form is provided in appendix D.

The notes of what was said by both the teacher and the students in the interactive setting (Yin, 2003: 92) were taken. To support the notes during observation, any words produced by the teachers and their interaction with their students while teaching and learning process run in the classroom was taken by using tape recorder. To get comprehensive data of classroom interaction, the writer asked his friend to record by using a camera.

3.6

Data Analysis

Data analyses in this study were conducted over the course of the research program and after the research program. Ongoing data analyses and interpretations were based on data mainly from observation. Furthermore, the data that were analyzed in the conclusion of the research were those obtained interviews and students’ writing journal.

The data from the interviews were transcribed and subsequently categorized and interpreted to answer the research questions. During the transcription stage, students’ names were replaced with symbols. The transcriptions in the first stage interview were confirmed to the participants to make sure that they were exactly what they said and meant. Kvale (1996: 161) mentions that this step aimed to give the participants an opportunity to reply whether they really meant what the researcher transcribed. Furthermore, to use the research time efficiently, the transcriptions of the second stage interview were not be sent back to the participant.

All interview data were analyzed in steps. The first one is to put interview questions into their categories. Then the data from the interviews were subsequently presented in a condensed body of information and interpretation (see Yin, 2003; Travers, 2001; Merriam, 1998). Finally, the data about students’ perceptions on the used of English as a medium of instruction were categories into positive and negative perception.

The data from students’ journal were used to investigate their direct expression of their feeling about teaching and learning process, their opinion about the teacher’s teaching performance, including the language he or she used. All the collected data from these journals were categorized based on the purposes of the research. Students’ feelings and opinions, which were reflected to the journals, then selected to be tabulated, based on its categories. Finally, these data were analyzed to support the finding in interviews and classroom observations.

Data from classroom observation were analyzed to find out the influences of the use of English as a medium of interaction to the classroom interactions. The finding data were also used to support the data from interview and students’ journal writing that investigate the students’ perception on the use of English as a medium of instruction. The data collected from the classroom observation were coded in the observational sheets. Then, information found during the observation were analyzed and interpreted in order to find the answers of research questions.

A data source triangulation (Alwasilah, 2003; Yin, 2003) which is usually used in case study, then made, to make a contrast and comparison off all the data obtained from different sources, i.e. documentary reviews, classroom observation, journal, questionnaires, and interviews. In this research, there were three sources; journals, interviews and classroom observation. These three sources supported each other to meet the validity of the conclusion of the study.